Sidehill Blog

The business leaders I've talked to recently all seem to have the same degree of uncertainty about the direction of the economic current. There is one aspect, however, that everyone agrees about: Whatever it ends up looking like, it wont' be like it used to. It seems everyone is offering free seminars and workshops on 'how to sell when no-one is buying' or 'selling on a down market' and similar topics that play to these uncertainties.

I disagree with that approach. Savvy business owners and leaders have long since buckled down for the current conditions. The steps these free seminars are promoting should have been trod by both leadership and the sales team months ago. What business leaders need now is a peak into that uncertain future so they can begin aligning their resources for maximum productivity.

There, I said it: Maximum Productivity. Not 'lean', not 'improved', not even 'greener' - Maximum.
Global competition is both present and sharp in every sector. Continuing advancement in the technology, education, and manufacturing sectors in what used to be 'developing nations' will only add to existing pressures on domestic operations. As both the US dollar and global competitive position begin to succumb to these larger, ever improving economies, just being better won't keep up. Long term survival in the new, new economy will require top of game performance across the board.

So how do you get shore up the top line and prepare your sales team for this new, new challenge? Here a re a few suggestions Sidehill Consulting is recommending business take now to be ready for selling in the new, new economy:
1.) Make sure you have the right people in the right positions. Study after study proves there are people who can and will hunt well, farm and gather well, and those who should never be allowed to leave the shelter of the hut. Evaluate your sales team objectively and start making the changes now. You WILL need a strong, consistently effective hunting team as well as star performance in your account management functions to make sure you're winning and keeping as much business as can be found.
2.) Improve the skills of those people. Think about how much time a professional athlete invests training compared to their time on the clock, in the game. Your sales team has skills that require the same degree of dedication, coaching, and practice. This is NOT product knowledge we're talking about. It's sales skills, interpersonal skills, strategic planning, account management technique. Don't wait on this one. Start now and provide it regularly.
3.) Get out of the way. When you believe you have the right people in the right positions, allow them to make the decisions they need to succeed. Set goals, provide the tools they need to track results specific to the activities necessary to hit those goals, have them to provide you updates on those results and changes they are making to improve them, and then get out of their way!
4.) Praise success, reward excess. Set reasonable, achievable goals, and recognize the effort taken to 'hit quota'. Then, raise the bar by offering real incentives for blowing quota out of the water.

Commit to these four key steps to improving your sales now. You have heard them all before, but if you're still reading this, chances are at least one of them is lacking. As the shape and color of the new, new economy emerges, these four key steps will allow your top line to grow and remain solid. The, your biggest challenge will be improving operations to keep up with sales.

Think Forward!